This invention relates in general to belt-type restraint devices for restraining a person by securing the wrists to a belt locked about the waist.
The advantages of the belt-type restraint devices, of which the present invention is intended as an improvement, are well known and include the fact that once properly secured, it is difficult to break loose or to do much damage while secured.
However, there are a number of disadvantages inherent in the belt-type restraint devices presently in wide-spread use. In general these devices are quite bulky and heavy. They require a lock to secure the girdling belt about the waist of the person and an individual lock for each shackle which secures the wrists to the belt. Additionally, the shackles are normally made of metal thereby adding to the bulk and weight of the restraint device. The prior art devices are therefore not only a bother to carry when not in use, but also are highly visible when in use. High visibility tends to result in "public relations" problems when a prior art restraint belt is utilized during the transportation of restrained persons by public transportation.
Accordingly, it is a major object of this invention to provide a belt-type restraint device which is lighter in weight and less bulky then are previously known devices and which is therefore easier to carry and simpler to use.
It is a further and related purpose of this invention to eliminate the metal shackles in order to achieve the above objectives.
It is a further purpose of this invention to provide this type of device which, in use, will attain the required restraing but which will make it feasible to restrain an individual who is then transported in public conveyances and in public places with minimum visibility as to the fact of the restraint.
It is also a purpose of this invention to achieve all of the above results in a device which is fully as secure as any previously known devices. Indeed, handcuffs, and to some extent metal shackles, permit a certain degree of mobility for the hands which at times allows the restrained individual to defeat and even break the devices. Accordingly, it is a purpose of this invention to reduce such mobility and thus enhance the security of the restraint device.
It is important that the restraint device be simple to use and that it be coupled to the individual being restrained by means of a single latching action. Accordingly, it is another purpose of this invention to provide a single latch restraint device.